Plumb-bob support.



PATENTED MAY 7, 1907. A. M. PARSONS.

PLUMB BOB SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1906.

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ALZAMON M. PARSONS, OF CANEY, KANSAS.

PLUllIlB-BOB SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed July 26, 1906- Serial No. 327,843.

To (LZZ whom it warty concern:

Be it known that I, ALZAMON M. PARSONS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oaney, in the county of Montgomery and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plumb-Bob Supports; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in tension devices, and more particularly to one adapted to support a plumb bob upon a tripod used by surveyors and engineers.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical device of this character, which will be easy to operate, and which will effectively hold the bob at any desired height.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a detail view of a portion of a tripod, showing the application of the invention thereto; Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the device and a portion of the tripod leg in which it is secured; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the plane indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tension or clamping lever of the device and its attaching spring.

Referring to the drawing by numeral, 1 denotes a portion of the head of a tripod, and 2 denotes one of the tripod legs, upon which my improved tension device 3 is mounted. This device is adapted to clamp or hold the cord 3 which is attached to the plumb bob 6 and is passed through an eye or guide in the center of the head 1. The device 3 comprises a casing 1 preferably of rectangular form and secured in a recess formed in the leg 2. The casing 4 has at the ends and the center of the side of its open outer face attaching ears or flanges adapted to receive screws, small nails, or the like, which retain the casing 4 in the recess 5. Pivoted upona transverse pin or the like 7 between the two sides of the casing 4 is a tension or clamping lever 8, which has its inner face recessed to provide at its upper end a clamping jaw 9 and at its lower end a finger-piece 10. A flat leaf spring 11 having one of its ends secured in a kerf or slot 12 in the end 10 of the lever 8 and its other end bearing against the interior of the casing 4, is adapted to force the jaw 9 inwardly to clamp the cord which supports the plumb bob. This cord passes through a passage or opening 13 in the leg 2, an aperture 14 in the upper end of the casing 4, beneath the inner end of the jaw 9 and the passage or opening 15 in said jaw 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

It will be seen that when the end 10 of the lever 8 is forced inwardly against the tension of the spring 11, the jaw 9 will be swung outwardly, so that the cord may be passed freely through the openings 13, 1 1, 15, and that when the lever Sis released, the spring 1 1 will force the jaw 9 inwardly to clamp the cord against movement. In this way, the cord may be clamped 'at any desired point to hold the plumb bob 6 at any elevation. When moving the tripod or instrument, the bob can be drawn up to the top and will be supported out of the way.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is,-

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a plumb bob line and a tripod leg having a recess and a passage, of a casing secured in the recess in said leg and formed with an aperture to aline with said passage, said aperture and passage being adapted to receive said line, and a spring-aetuated jaw in said casing to clamp said line.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a casing, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends in said casing and having an inwardly-projecting jaw at one end, and a finger-piece at its opposite end, said casing and said jaw having apertures to receive a plumb bob line, and a spring for forcing said aw inwardly to clamp said line in said casing.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a casing, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends in said casing and having an inwardly-projecting jaw at one end and a In testimony whereof I have hereunto set finger-piece at its oppos1te end, sald caslng my hand in presence of two subscribing 10 and send aW havlng apertures to recelve a W1tnesses.

plumb bob line, a flat s ring secured at one r end in a kerf in said ever and having Its ALAAMON PARSONS free end bearing against the interior of said 'Witnesses:

casing, and attaching flanges upon said cas- JOHN TODD, A q f i ing, substantially as shown and described. W. L. CAVIs. 

